Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk; Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is 2300 feet of Florida eye candy. Here you’ll enjoy an up close & personal stroll through the world’s largest cypress/royal palm forest. Federally designated a Registered Natural Landmark, it’s aptly known as the Amazon of North America.

Bromeliads are plentiful, as are ferns and aquatic plants. Huge cypress trees shelter the Boardwalk and the bizarre strangler fig is a startling sight. Of course, you can count on seeing alligators. And there’s a visible bald eagle’s nest that’s occupied year after year…always a popular photo stop. The boardwalk terminates at a small, picturesque swamp pond, complete with gators, fish and lush aquatic plants.

While the walk out & back is less than a mile, it is brimming with beauty. And very educational, as dozens of small signs teach about the plants and animals that thrive here. You might also want to check out the gift shop, which offers some authentic Native American crafts. And the little pond out front can be entertaining, as well, with its resident alligator, fish and native vegetation.

This visit was much different than our trip on Janes Scenic Drive. While the drive was enjoyable, the incredibly rich ecosystem of Fakahatchee Strand is best enjoyed on foot, whether here on the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk or on one of the trails along Janes Scenic Drive.